Somewhere in Between
by SilverTailz
Summary: Kagome dies in a battle that she wasn't destined to die in, so the Fates give her a chance to return to the land of the living. All she's got to do is get Inuyasha to see her. The problem? She's a ghost.
1. Suddenly Invisible

My name is Higarashi Kagome. I'm a seventeen-year-old high school student. I live on the grounds of a public shrine. I'm a miko-in-training—well, sort of. I have a little brother named Souta, a mom, a very fat cat called Buyo and a grandpa, Higarashi Sr., who's tended the shrine since HIS grandfather taught him how.  
  
If you'd asked me who I was a few days ago, that's exactly what I would have told you. I probably would have skipped over the part about falling into a time-traveling well and meeting up with a bunch of people that lived a couple hundred years before my time, but other than that, I would've been truthful. I would've smiled and been as friendly as I could've, maybe invited you over for dinner. Now, I'm sad to say, I'll never get the chance to invite ANYONE to dinner again. Why? Because everything's so incredibly different now. Everything's changed.  
  
Okay, maybe not everything. Technically, I AM still related to my family, and I am still friends with our little rag-tag group in the feudal era. I'm still a seventeen-year-old miko.  
  
The difference? I'll never be able to age another year. Seventeen forever? Torture, I know. I'll never get to finish learning how to drive. I'll never go to college and get a job. I'll never be able to tell that stupid, ignorant hanyou how I feel about him. And why is this?  
  
Plain and simple, it's because I'm dead.  
  
Yes, you heard me right, minna, I'm dead. I'm not crazy—at least, no more so than when I was alive. You're probably wondering what in the world is going on here, aren't you? Once you die, you die, and that's the end. You die and your little soul flutters to Nirvana. That's what you've been told all your life, and hey, maybe for most people it's true.  
  
But not for me.  
  
I can remember perfectly the day I died. It was at the hands of a demon, of course—one of Inuyasha's most recent adversaries. A troll-like thing—big, hairy, with really huge teeth. Ugh, if you'd seen him you'd never forget him—or his smell—even if you had died, like me. The thing looked like something out a science-fiction novel.  
  
Anyway, Inuyasha'd had the thing pretty much standing on its last leg. It was all cut up and battered, and I'll admit it—we were all pretty sure it was not going to live to see another day. And we were right, in a sense—our protective hanyou-friend succeeded in killing it—  
  
But not until after it got a chance to take a swing at the rest of us.  
  
The thing had spines—how cliché is that?—that could go flying, and could obviously be concealed as well. It shot them in our general direction, snapping Miroku's staff, making Kilala jump aside, and putting a nice dent in Sango's boomerang as she shielded herself with it. Shippo and I weren't quite so lucky. A spine came right at us. I protected the little kit with my body—what else could I do? Reflexes are reflexes, and despite the fact that I was killed in doing so, it was worth it. I'd have given my life for any one of the others.  
  
Now, if anyone's told you death is a relief, they were lying through their teeth. Death is the most painful thing I've ever been through. First there was the feeling of an extremely sharp spine going straight through my stomach. It was like fire spreading throughout my veins—it burned just like fire, but maybe a hundred times worse. I fell to the ground with a heavy THUMP, and, needless to say, that did nothing to lessen the pain.  
  
I vaguely heard the sounds of a sword clashing in the background, Inuyasha talking, and then another thump, louder than mine, as something very heavy connected with the dirt. I knew the demon was dead without looking—which was a good thing, as I couldn't lift my head.  
  
There was a rush of footfalls as all my friends ran to my side.  
  
Shippo crawled out from under me, his fur sticky with blood, and I felt a stab of fear for a moment before I realized that he wasn't bleeding. It was my blood. He was saying something, looking terrified, his eyes filling with tears. Looking about, I noticed everyone was crying—silently, or was it just my ears? I could hear only a muffled sound as I felt two arms encircle me and lift me from the cold, hard ground.  
  
It was Inuyasha that was talking.  
  
He was crying too, saying something in an anxious tone—I couldn't make out the words; my ears had given up listening, and my eyes were following suit. I was dizzy, in a state of complete unreality—it was unlike anything I've ever felt before. I was only aware of three words Inuyasha whispered as he kissed my forehead and wiped the blood away with his sleeve.  
  
"I love you....."  
  
He'd said it! I was elated, though all I could do was smile weakly. I opened my mouth and gurgled—more blood came then speech, I'm sure. I couldn't hear my voice either, but I could feel my mouth move and see—blearily, but could see—Inuyasha close his eyes as more tears ran down his face and splashed onto mine. He attempted a smile for my sake, though it was cheerless, and Sango and Miroku said something softly from behind him.  
  
Then everything went black.  
  
I know it looked peaceful to them—my body just went limp to their eyes. But to me it hurt like hell. My soul was ripped from my body, and it felt worse than if someone had reached in and pulled my heart out of my chest. The whole world spun and I cried out in unheard agony, completely blinded by pain. When I opened my eyes, you can imagine how surprised I was to find myself a few feet away from where I had been a moment before, unharmed and on my knees on the ground.  
  
A few feet away, Inuyasha was cradling my body as he had been a moment before, but everyone was crying much harder than when I had been watching. I could see them—my dying eyes hadn't been able to, but I could without them. I walked over hesitantly, knowing they couldn't see me—it was a gut feeling, you know, and common sense. I was dead. Of course they couldn't see me.  
  
But I could see them.  
  
Miroku was weeping and holding Sango up, his arms tightly around her shoulders as she sobbed into his. Shippo—dear, sweet little Shippo—was nuzzling my pale face and wailing like the child that he was, pleading with me to wake up as though I was just asleep. Kilala was mewing uncertainly, licking my hand. Inuyasha, though his crying was by far the most subdued of all, had grief apparent on his face. There was no anger as he had when he spoke of Kikyou's death, no terseness as when he spoke of his mother's. There was nothing but incredible sorrow. Watching him, I wished more than anything in the world to comfort him, to sit up and tell him that it was a joke, and I was sorry.  
  
Neither would happen.  
  
And as I watched them, I realized just how much I would miss them. I'd miss Sango's smiles and her fury as she whacked Miroku in punishment. I'd miss Shippo's whining and his childish love, his fluffy tail. I'd miss Miroku's lecherousness and my arguments with Inuyasha and the curse of the praise beads. I'd miss being able to help them find the Jewel Shards. I'd miss Sango's ritual trips to the hot springs and Kilala's mewing voice at night.  
  
Transparent tears rolled down my transparent cheeks and were lost, as I was, as I always would be. This was terrible. Would I be condemned to being a ghost forever, to follow my friends and know that they'd never hear my voice again, never be able to talk to me? Would I have to watch Shippo grow knowing I can't help, watch Sango and Miroku get married knowing I can't give them best wishes?  
  
Would I have to watch Inuyasha for the remainder of his nearly boundless immortality, knowing that I'd never gotten a chance to finish the rest of mine fulfilling my promise?  
  
I'd told him a while back that I'd stay by his side, and I had meant it. Could I do it now, even if he would never know that I had?  
  
@-}-------------  
  
My funeral was very quiet and subdued. It was a brilliantly sunny day—there was not a single cloud anywhere in my line of vision. A soft summer breeze ruffled the knee-high grass of the clearing in which we stood. It was full of flowers—beautiful, colorful flowers—more kinds than I could count. They'd laid me out nicely in a hand-built box that had been a gift from some carpenter of Keade's village, along with some herbs and a prayer amulet. Drilled in the rich birch of the coffin's lid was a tribute to me—a thank you from the village and a loving farewell from my friends.  
  
Oh, my friends.  
  
They stood along the edges of the field as a villager covered the box back up with dirt, shovel by shovel. The tears then were more calm and gentle than they had been on the battlefield. Inuyasha wasn't weeping at all, in fact—I was proud of him. He was trying to be strong for them, of course—particularly for the wailing kistune that clung to *his* shoulder.  
  
He would never cling to my shoulder again.  
  
Once the villager finished his task and left, everyone stood in place, stationed around the fresh patch of dirt. Miroku leaned against his repaired staff, his left arm around Sango's shoulders, murmuring a respectful prayer with his eyes closed. I listened, feeling oddly out of place—most people don't attend their own funeral, after all. I couldn't even mourn with them. I couldn't comfort them, because it was ME lying in that coffin.  
  
Miroku finished his prayer at last. Kneeling before my grave he set down a white flower and stood again, looking down and speaking.  
  
"I never expected to perform a service for you, Kagome-sama. May you have peace."  
  
Sango was next, soon after. She followed the priest's suit solemnly, saying something herself.  
  
"I'll miss you, Kagome-chan. I hope you're happy, wherever you are."  
  
Shippo leapt from Inuyasha's shoulder, repeating the motions of everyone else. His flower was a bright-hued daisy—the kind I'd taught him to make ringlets out of that day last spring. He said nothing aloud, but more tears splashed down his cheeks, so I guessed he was saying something silently. He joined the other three. They all glanced at the hanyou whom had been silent the whole time and nodded, looking away and leaving the clearing together.  
  
"We'll be at the village, Inuyasha....."  
  
"We'll have some dinner waiting....."  
  
The silver-haired boy said nothing for the longest time. I watched him sadly. He was battling with himself over everything—with self-blame, with mourning, and with guilt. His face was still dry, mercifully—I knew that if he started crying again, I would too.  
  
It was with the utmost reverence that he walked over and laid a flower on top of the others and sat down beside on the grass. "Why'd you go and leave me like that, baka?" His voice was soft and affectionate and sad—so, so sad. "We all need you here. Me, the brat, Sango, Miroku—we all need you." He paused, his hair covering his face. It was so quiet I could hear the wind blowing over his breathing.  
  
And then there were tears again. His shoulders were shaking with them though they were silent. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I sh-should've protected you. If I'd just been a little faster.....you'd.....you'd....." His voice trembled with concealed tears that I shed for him. "I'm s-sorry. I hope you can forgive me." He stood and disappeared from the clearing as all the others had, leaving me along with my grave. Though no one could see me do it or know why, I dropped to my knees and cried, knowing that no matter how hard I fell to the ground I couldn't leave an imprint. 


	2. Speaking with Spirits

After I'd cried for a good long while, I got off my knees (not dusty at all, of course) and walked back to the village. It's really something to get used to, being able to walk through walls—it shocked me pretty badly the first time a villager pushed his ox cart right through my stomach. I can walk though solid things, and they can walk through me—but I've discovered something. I can make the psychical word react to my presence.  
  
If I stare at something really hard, it'll rock back and forth. Logs on top of the woodpile will fall off; a child's ball will mysteriously bounce out of his hands. But I don't like doing those things—it scares the villagers, and I don't want to scare them.  
  
Anyway. Everybody was gathered at Kaede's house—even Inuyasha. There was a subdued sort of conversation going on as I entered and stood behind them all, almost sitting beside them on the empty spot out of habit—almost. Sango was stroking Kilala and talking to Miroku about a rumor of the jewel shards that she heard from this village woman and that man—the priest listened intently, pretending to be interested and nodding appropriately. Kaede was cooking something in a big bowl in the corner of the room—I smelled herbs. (How odd is it that I can smell just fine, but I can't taste a thing?)  
  
And then there are the other two demon pals of ours. Inuyasha was sitting cross-legged on a rug with Shippo still clinging to his haori. Normally this would really tick him off, but at the moment he seemed to have no problem with it. Maybe he felt it was his duty to be a bit more patient—after all, I asked him a while back to watch over the kit if anything happened to me. Maybe he was just too out of it and lost in thought to care.  
  
Whatever the reason, the two seemed to have called a ceasefire.  
  
Kaede began passing bowls of soup around. Everyone accepted it—grudgingly or otherwise. Everyone at least tried it, with the exception of Inuyasha. He was sitting there, looking the part of a serious and handsomely sculpted statue.  
  
"Come on, Inuyasha. Eat it. Starving yourself isn't going to help me at all, or you for that matter."  
  
Of course, he couldn't hear me. But still I talked to him. I found myself doing that more and more since my death—just talking to them, as though they could hear me. It made no difference, of course, except for Miroku, and only once. He FELT my presence. I'm sure of it.  
  
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and stiffened as I came and sat beside him. Maybe he could feel some sort of my vibe, because he did pick up the bowl at that point and take a small sip of the soup. He had to be hungry—he hadn't eaten a single thing since three days before. I sighed and scratched my head, at a loss for anything else to say except a forlorn, "I wish you could hear me, guys....."  
  
And then suddenly, as though I had called upon some force that had been waiting for its cue, a bright light came behind me. I jumped up and looked around wildly, expecting the others to do the same—but they didn't. They just kept eating and talking, completely unaware of anything. As I watched, swirling blue orbs began appearing in the air, and a sort of rip became visible in front of me. As if that weren't odd enough, a figure pulled itself from the tear.  
  
At this point, I was more than a little freaked out. I backed away, passing through Sango's soup bowl and not feeling a single thing. "Wh-who are you?" I cried, falling backwards and sliding down the wall.  
  
"Don't be afraid, little one. I'm not going to harm you." It extended a pale white hand to me, as if to help me up, but I just stared, not quite ready to trust the phantom thing that had just appeared in front of me. The being sighed, pulling back its hood.  
  
Long folds of ebony hair fell from the hood and swayed around as if blown by wind. I found myself looking into the face of a very beautiful woman. She was about mom's age with a pale complexion, indigo eyes, and an easy smile that made me relax a little. I accepted her hand then, allowing her to pull me to my feet and steady me.  
  
I was at a loss for words. The last two days had been the strangest of my life, and things were only getting stranger.  
  
As I tried to regain the use of my speech, the woman was gazing about the group. Her eyes traveled from each of my friends to the next, stopping at last on Inuyasha and Shippo. Her expression softened and the deep indigo pools held glittery traces of tears.  
  
I felt like an intruder. "Um.....miss....?"  
  
The woman looked up at me, smiling again. "I'm sorry, dear. I'm still having trouble accepting......" I waited for her to finish for a few seconds. "......my death......"  
  
"I'm sorry," I said, truly meaning it. Being dead was awful. This woman looked much too young to be dead—but then, she probably thought the same about me. I was too young too.  
  
"It's alright, dear," she said, shifting her eyes toward mine. "I've come here to fix all this."  
  
"Fix it.....?" A crazy hope rose up in my heart but I shoved it down. Could she possibly mean.....?  
  
"Yes, Kagome, fix it." I was too deep in suspense to care much that she knew my name. I listened. "I died an early death, as you did......the difference between us two is this: you weren't destined to pass on in that battle." I was shocked. Not destined to die? So basically, this woman was telling me that the Almighty Powers had screwed up on a matter like my death.  
  
"I......you mean......." I spluttered, at a complete loss for words once again. My face had to be as red as being transparent allowed. "I should be alive right now?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
I was ready to faint right then and there (could spirits faint?) before the woman reached out and caught my wrist. "That's exactly why I'm here. The Fates have realized their error and they are prepared to give you your life back."  
  
Give me my life back? That was WONDERFUL! Splendid! The best news I'd ever gotten! This woman obviously cared for me. Why was she looking at me with sympathy and patience?  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"There is....." She paused. "....One condition."  
  
One condition. There was one condition standing between my life and my....er......afterlife. No problem! Nothing to worry about! I was ready to try anything.  
  
"And that is....?"  
  
The woman straightened up and fixed me with her penetrating stare, her face showing the highest seriousness I'd yet seen from her.  
  
"Higarashi Kagome, in order to have your life reinstated by those in charge of such things, you have but to complete one task." I was listening so desperately; I hadn't even noticed that I was holding my breath. "You can breathe, dear," the woman stated slowly, and didn't resume until I had taken several deep gasps. "Your task is to become observable to one mortal being that could link you to this earth—to your life."  
  
What was that supposed to mean? I waited for her to explain further. She took the hint.  
  
"Meaning you have to make one person that you know see you."  
  
"See....me?" I asked foggily. "How am I supposed to do that? I'm dead! I'm invisible!"  
  
"I know, dear."  
  
Silence.  
  
"How do I do it?"  
  
The woman looked around the room at my friends again, as if summing them up. "Pick one person first. Someone you had a deep connection with—a friendship, a blood relation, or something to that extent. You've already discovered your ability at affecting the physical world. Use that to your advantage. Invoke the uses of your spiritual aura—lift objects, make signs, do whatever you wish."  
  
She waited.  
  
"So.....it's like a big game of charades?"  
  
"Essentially," she answered, nodding. "My only warnings are these: there are certain beings lurking about that could be harmful to you—demons that specialize in essence thieving. Also, each time you use your spiritual energy, you will feel fatigue, as if it were physical energy you used. Be wise and careful with all your choices."  
  
"I will," I assured. "I think I've already chosen who I'm gonna try to reach."  
  
"Would you mind my asking?"  
  
"No," I said shyly, looking down. "I think I'm going to try to get Inuyasha to see me."  
  
The white-robed woman smiled, looking at him as well. "I can see why. He's obviously grown an attachment to you." I was puzzled. How much did she know about us, anyway? As if she could sense my thoughts, the woman answered gently, "I must confess to a little spying every now and then." Her smile faded as she followed my gaze to the silver-haired hanyou. "No matter how many times I steal a look down here, it's not the same." Her smile became wistful. "My little Inuyasha's grown up into a handsome young man, don't you think?"  
  
I blushed (as much as I could), looking away so she wouldn't see the answer in my eyes. I heard her laugh sweetly. "Don't be embarrassed, dear. I didn't mean to tease."  
  
"It's okay...." I met gaze with the woman again, feeling my face regain its normal transparent paleness. "H-he hasn't told me much about you, except that you were very pretty, and a good mother."  
  
"Thank you," the lady said softly. "But I wasn't a good mother.....I left my only child when he was too young to fend for himself, when he still needed protection.....the villagers were so cold to him. It was my fault that Inuyasha didn't trust anyone for so long."  
  
I was touched by the sadness in her face. "It wasn't your fault," I assured quietly. "You didn't die purposefully. Inuyasha doesn't blame you for it." She looked like she wanted to say something else, but whatever it was, she bit back, smiling again and brushing a lock of hair from my face in a motherly way.  
  
"I know you will succeed in this, Kagome. When you get back.....take good care of my Inuyasha." She backed away, dissolving into the rip again. All the blue orbs extinguished themselves, and everything looked normal. I still stood in the same spot, watching where Inuyasha's mother had disappeared.  
  
"I will," I promised, touching the strand of hair she had a moment before. "Thank you. I promise I will."  
  
@-}-----------------------------  
  
A great big thanks to all my readers including Lil, DemonMiko, Inuyashsa- gal-97 and Laura O., who took the time to e-mail me (thanks a bundle!) but forgot to leave her screen name. Hope you guys liked the chappy! 


	3. Kagome's Discovery

I walked into Kaede's hut the next morning pretty early.  
  
Spending the night under Inuyasha's tree was as normal as I could manage. Staying in routine might seem stupid for someone that's dead—believe me, I know. But if I ignore the fact that no one speaks to me or acknowledges that I'm around—and pretend that my friends are all truly happy, not just using a façade—then I can almost make myself believe that all this mess was one horrible nightmare. One terrible, awful nightmare.  
  
If I had been visible, I would've interrupted breakfast. Inuyasha would've made a rude comment about late-sleepers; Sango would've whapped him over the head in my defense, and Miroku would've said something to pacify the arguing. Now, however, they just continued on with their eating, talking and smiling.  
  
How wonderful for them to put such effort to being cheerful. I was proud of them.  
  
I came and sat beside Inuyasha, smiling at Shippo who finally seemed to have relinquished his death grip on the hanyou's haori and was eating again. Inuyasha was eating a little, too. I was glad. "Good for you, Inuyasha," I said cheerfully, glancing at the bowl in his hands. I smiled to him as well, feeling truly happy for the first time since......the incident.  
  
CRACK!  
  
"What the—?!" Inuyasha jumped up, wearing the soup and shards of the clay bowl I had glanced at. Sango And Miroku jumped up too, looking around in all directions as though they expected arrows to fly through the walls. I backed away, flabbergasted. I hadn't been trying to do anything.....why in the world.....?  
  
"What was that?" Sango voiced the question everyone must've been wondering, her eyes holding an apprehensive glint. "A poltergeist?"  
  
"Poltergeist?" I repeated indignantly. "Hey, wait a minute!"  
  
"Perhaps," Miroku answered, as though I hadn't spoken, "it was just a mischievous trickster. A kitsune?"  
  
"Nah," Shippo responded, and I was happy to hear him speaking again. "Can't be."  
  
"Well, whatever it was," Inuyasha muttered, "it's got a stupid sense of humor." With that ending note he took one look at his soaked clothes and stalked out of the hut, with me at his heels. Miroku and Sango just watched, along with Shippo. Kilala mewed as we left, maybe saying goodbye.  
  
"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," I said to him, jogging alongside to keep up. "I didn't mean to do that to you.....I just......" What was the point of talking to him, anyway? He couldn't hear me. "I was just happy, that's all." The hanyou stared straight ahead. I was almost offended enough to say the 'S- word' before I remembered that he couldn't hear me. I'm dead, after all. It wouldn't be smart to take my anger out on him, and it wouldn't be fair. But the thought struck an idea in me. The S-word. Who's to say it wouldn't still work now? Just because I was invisible didn't mean I didn't exist.  
  
It was worth a try. I mustered all my energy and commanded in my firmest voice, "SIT BOY!"  
  
Inuyasha crashed face first into the dirt, and I just stared at him, intrigued and elated. It had worked! I could still call upon the praise beads! And maybe, if I could use a few more hints, he could piece together that I was still there! Maybe it was stupid to be so deliriously happy, but I couldn't help it. It was a start, at least.  
  
Meanwhile, while I was celebrating, Inuyasha was cursing badly enough to make a sailor wince. He looked bewildered, annoyed, and, even a little bit scared. Scared? My great big protector, Souta's comic-book hero, scared? I laughed then, but I couldn't blame him. I'd be a little freaked in his position, too, as the only person who could command the praise beads to do that was a dead friend.  
  
"What the f—" He stopped himself as a leaf hit him in the face, or the mouth, to be precise. I'd thrown it at him, overjoyed with my new power and confident enough to stop his cursing. His expression showed still more confusion. I know his mind was ticking; I could almost see the gears turning as he thought, 'It's not fall yet.' After a few minutes of struggling with himself, he seemed to come to grips with the fact that freakish things were happening and shrug it off. He continued in the direction he was moving in.  
  
I wondered where we were going. Maybe Inuyasha didn't have a destination in mind; maybe he was just wandering to blow off some steam. It was like him, to go off and brood somewhere. He looked so cute when he was sulking.... Whoa! Where'd THAT come from? I promptly squashed that thought before it could progress further. Maybe I'd been around Miroku a little too long.... Well, no. My condition wasn't THAT bad. Or at least, I like to think so.  
  
Forcing myself to concentrate on the task at hand, I contented myself with watching Inuyasha walk. His strides were long and confident, and stabbing, showing a bit of his anger that he couldn't understand lord-knows-what that was following him around. His silvery hair fluttered behind him, and I was reminded for a moment of Sesshomaru. The two looked quite alike when Inuyasha was in an aloof mood like this. Their amber eyes were the same as well—beautiful, captivating, intense. Inuyasha's eyes were always so intense. I loved that about him. And he was so strong....during the few times he held me, I felt completely safe and warm.....  
  
FOCUS, KAGOME!  
  
Are you focused?  
  
Yeah. Okay. Good. Let's keep it that way.  
  
Finally, we'd arrived somewhere. So, Inuyasha had had a purpose to this wandering, after all. We were standing by a river—the very same that formed the hot springs Sango and I visited in the woods. It was close to Kaede's village; it was the river the villagers used to wash their clothing, and to drink from. I smiled unconsciously, stepping forward.  
  
Inuyasha was getting into the water. He waded in up to his knees stood there, apparently with no intention of doing anything interesting. I'd thought at first he'd come here to get rid of the soup smell, but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe he just wanted to come to the river.  
  
Suddenly, I had another idea. The sits had worked, hadn't they? I was going to try again. I waded into the water after Inuyasha, standing just a little way behind him. He was standing there, still, watching the clouds as if they might explain something to him. Honestly. If he'd started snoring, I wouldn't have been surprised.  
  
"SIT, Inuyasha!" Obediently, his face flew downwards and met the water with a big SPLASH! Fish went shooting off in every direction possible as Inuyasha sat up, now completely soaked (though without the soup smell) and very angry, cursing loud enough to echo.  
  
While he was still on his knees and hands I took my chance. Summoning all my energy, I stared at the water's surface. Inuyasha's ears pricked—maybe he sensed something. The water began to ripple, like water in a glass somebody's shaking around. And then—plain as day—my face appeared there, behind Inuyasha's reflection. It was like standing in a mirror. Inuyasha's whole body tensed, and he blinked several times as though he wasn't sure of what he was seeing.  
  
"K-kagome? Is that you?" His voice was hopeful, but uncertain. I smiled and automatically began speaking—of course, he couldn't hear anything I was saying. Reflections don't talk, you know. But he could see me mouthing, and he tried desperately to read my lips.  
  
He wasn't very good at it.  
  
"What're you saying?" he asked at last, his voice containing a hint of his old sarcasm.  
  
"I'm saying I can't talk, idiot," I exclaimed to him furiously, pronouncing each syllable with a painful slowness. He watched my reflection.  
  
"You....can't talk," he repeated, and I nodded fervently, looking exasperated. "Kagome....what're you....how are you doing this? Why? Is something wrong?" His tone of voice was worried, and I couldn't tell if it was for me or if he was worried about having another psycho girl friend haunt him and threaten to take him to hell. Don't worry, Inuyasha, I thought. I have no desire to kill you.  
  
"I—" I was going to explain everything—about meeting his mother, about having a second chance at everything, about how I had to get him to see me—but then I felt a sharp pain in my heart. My head was spinning, and my vision doubled, and I fell backwards, making no splash and no sound whatsoever. Inuyasha, apparently, had witnessed this by watching the water; now, he was calling for me anxiously. I tried to reappear in the water for him, to explain, but it wasn't any use. I couldn't muster enough energy.  
  
It was as Inuyasha's mother had said—I was using up my energy. I had to pace myself—I couldn't just do anything I wanted. When I overtaxed myself, this was what would happen. I was frustrated with myself for coming so close to explaining to him, yet I was pleased. I was a step closer to getting him to see me.  
  
Eventually, Inuyasha gave up calling for me and left, presumably to go back to the village. I stood there in the water, imagining that I could feel it, that I could splash in it, and that I was alive again. I would come back, I promised myself. Now that I had a chance, I wasn't going to waste it.  
  
Inuyasha would see me and everything would be fine. As soon as my strength was back, I would appear to him again, and would tell him that all he had to do was see me. He'd work on it, and everything would be fine. Inuyasha would never let me down.  
  
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*Yaaaawn* *Glances at the clock* Hmm.... 11:47..... It's.......Ahh. The update's done. ^-^ Sorry it took so long, minna, I've been totally swamped, and my other ficcy, Not Too Late, has reached its climax and it's taken importance over all the others. I'll try to update faster, I promise. But for those of you that haven't yet, go check it out for me, please? I'd appreciate it. ^- ^  
  
Ja ne.  
  
Tailz 


	4. Pens and Paper

Sheesh! Writing three stories at once is tough! I'm trying to update Not Too Late, this story, and a Glance Ahead before I leave 2 days from now....the result? A lot of stress on my part and a lot of late nights!! Oh, well....It'll be worth it if I can update all this before I leave.... Love ya, guys. As always, thanks for the reviews....  
  
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By the next morning I was feeling pretty much back to normal—as normal as a ghost can feel, anyway. I'd slept as near to Inuyasha as I could be without actually touching him, and that just happened to be floating in the air. I hadn't meant to do it—I'd gone to sleep on the God Tree's roots, right beneath Inuyasha's branch, and when I woke up at dawn, I was floating—and upside down, too. I could fly! Well, sort of.... As soon as I woke up fully and realized I was floating, I crashed down to the ground, and could not, for the life of me, get back into the air. Odd, huh?  
  
After breakfast, everyone went to work around the village. Sango helped Kaede out with everything—picking herbs, mixing medicines, and looking after the mildly ill. Miroku and Shippo were watching a group of village youngsters, and I had to admit—he really is good with kids. I couldn't help but think, however perverted it sounded, that he would make a good father someday. I imagined myself telling Sango, and could picture the rapid blush that would spread about her cheeks as she'd turn away and say fervently, "THAT letch? He can't even keep his hands to himself for five minutes! How's he gonna find a wife?"  
  
I imagined myself talking to my friends more and more often. It was awfully lonely, being dead—more then once I tried talking to Inuyasha's mother, just to see if she would come back or something. I was disappointed. It seemed I was just as invisible to people of the afterlife as I was to living mortals. Either that, or there weren't any other dead people wandering around and haunting their friends. Actually, when you thought of it that way, it made me sound like a bitter old banshee. That was silly. I would always be Kagome—a miko, a sister, and a friend, never bitter towards my friends.  
  
It wasn't their fault I had died, after all.  
  
The sun was bright in the cerulean sky. A bunch of fat, puffy clouds were racing each other across the expanse. I'd once tried to explain to Inuyasha and the others about seeing pictures in the clouds.... The result had been a lot of funny looks and a comment about 'insane wenches' from a certain obnoxious hanyou. I smiled at the memory, remembering how the conversation had ended: with a few good sits, as many did.  
  
Hopefully, I would have the chance to talk to my friends again. And soon.  
  
Following Inuyasha around as he wandered about the village doing odd chores had been the only thing I could think of to do. He scared a demon away. I watched. He gathered herbs for Kaede. I made him spill some. He fixed a roof. I dropped logs on his head. None of the signals seemed to reach him as signals, though—he seemed to just think they were annoying accidents.  
  
By the time Inuyasha went off on his own time, I was more than a little frustrated. He went straight to the God Tree of course. I pouted, climbing up the tree after him. I had been hoping he'd go back to the pond. After a few minuted of struggling I managed to settle myself 'on' the branch directly above Inuyasha's.  
  
Hmm. I had to get his attention again. How to do it? Throwing things hadn't worked earlier.... Then it hit me. I could try writing! There was a notepad in my pack back at Kaede's house! If that could work, then explaining to Inuyasha would be a cinch!  
  
All I'd have to do was wait for him to go back.  
  
....Easier said then done. I waited, and I waited, and I waited some more. About an hour after sunset, Inuyasha yawned and got down....to mosey around somewhere else. I lost my impatience, shouting a few curses he couldn't hear, and left towards the hut, muttering things under my breath. When I got there, everyone else was still out somewhere. I walked over to my pack and stuck my transparent hand right through the closed flap. Focusing slightly, I opened the zipper and brought out a piece of my notebook paper and a pen, and dropped them both towards the ground.  
  
Next, I brought my hand around the pen. Focusing with all my strength this time, I managed to lift the pen into a writing position and scribble one very jagged line of a character. If I had had a physical body, I would've been sweating. After several excruciating minutes, I had managed to pen a single character: See. I had to continue....but I was so tired.... Doggedly, I held my breath and focused my energy on the pen again, lifting it, forcing it to shakily keep moving across the paper....  
  
And then, my mind did that spinny-loopy thing it had done in the pond the other day. When I opened my eyes the pen was lying, flat and still on the piece of paper. I'd managed to write the words "See me." Great accomplishment, huh? Who, in their right mind, would be able to decipher ANYTHING from those two words? Rather irritably, I sighed and, with a tiny muster of energy, blew the note out of sight. I'd figured out that the lighter things were, the less energy they took to move—and I was getting more resilient all the time. The hardest trick of all was projecting my image as I'd done in the pond—I could only keep that up for a few minutes.  
  
But...I was progressing. My plan was to write a series of notes and pool them together to form a message...  
  
And hey, at the rate I was going, I might just finish before Sango turned 50. 


	5. A Foiled Plan

The days continued to pass at an exaggerated pace. I followed at all of my friends' heels in turn and watched over them at they continued to stall looking for the Shikon by feigning interest in small village tasks. I bit my lip guiltily every time Shippo asked when they could leave and Sango looked away, unsure of how to answer—I knew it would be a million times harder for them to find the shards without their shard detector. My death had by no stretch of the imagination been anyone's fault, including mine, but I still felt responsible. If only I had moved—

But no. Beating myself up about it all would not help. I had decided that much in the beginning.

I had managed to write another note since the first—the newest said "You need" in scrawly, uneven, huge letters that were barely even legible. I had been hoping to improve so that they would recognize my handwriting and so that would help to convince them when the time came—but no such luck. It was lucky that I had even managed to form the words at all. The nausea and dizziness were getting a little easier to bear, but it still wasn't my favorite pastime. I preferred to avoid it when possible—returning to my normal, invisible, non-solid form an instant before I blinked out, that sort of thing. There was a trick to it, and I found myself mastering it pretty quickly.

The day dawned chilly and bright. Inuyasha murmured something softly in half-sleep and stretched below me upon his branch, yawning and opening his eyes a slit. The sun had only just peeked over the horizon in a thin pink line, but already the hanyou was rousing himself. He rubbed his face a little and then stared off in the direction of the village where a few farmers were stirring and leaving their sleeping wives and children for a hard day's work in the fields. I felt myself smile, as he did—that tiny wistful smile that told me he was somewhere else than in his painful reality. I saw fantasy glisten in his amber eyes and wondered what he was thinking about.

Becoming ghost girl hadn't made any more of a mind reader out of me than otherwise, though, so I didn't know. Darn.

As most mornings, Inuyasha sat there on his perch, unmoving and scarcely breathing as he pondered whatever it was his brain had created, until what Kagome guessed was around six o'clock. Then, he slipped down and landed neatly on his feet at the base of the tree and headed off in the direction of Kaede's hut. With a little yawn of my own (out of habit, I guess), I hovered down and followed close behind him. We walked through the reviving village square. A few villagers actually called greeting to Inuyasha, and he, as always, walked on as though he heard nothing. My slightly good mood faded a little.

Up until lately, he had never been able to give them much more than the common courtesy, or they him—unless you counted saving their village from demons. It served to reason that he was a little hesitant now to accept the fact that they were starting to tolerate him—he had never even been treated as an actual person before, so it probably seemed like a ploy to someone as cautious as Inuyasha. He was suspicious, and little blame to him. Anyone would be if they had been treated like that all their life—like they were nothing, like they meant nothing.

"You do mean something, Inuyasha," I whispered, and he glanced back tiredly for a second, as though he had heard me. But he hadn't. I knew that.

We entered through the flap-door as always, just as Miroku and Sango finished tidying their beddings on the opposite corners of the one room hut. Kaede sat in the center of the floor with a large stewpot on the fireplace, stirring her large wooden spoon unfailingly. Shippo was seated at her knees, a piece of paper and his two raggedy remaining crayons in his lap, coloring doggedly away as if to save the world.

"'Morning, Inuyasha." Sango straightened from her work and gave him an effort at a smile, and he glanced at her before sliding to sit, cross-legged, in his typical pose against the wall.

"Good morning, my friend," Miroku said with a yawn, coming to sit close and accept the wooden bowl Kaede offered. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered with a shrug, looking away before the monk could see the tiredness in his eyes. Liar, I thought lightly, but Miroku just closed his eyes and slurped a few breakfast noodles contentedly as if to say, If you won't tell, then I won't ask.

Soon, Shippo took some stew too, and Sango and Kirara, and lastly Kaede herself. Inuyasha only held the bowl that they handed him, clutching it tightly as if to absorb its warmth into his body. His shoulders were tense, and I could tell something was bothering him. Something had been gnawing at him for days. The others had noticed—they knew him well, like I did—but they hadn't said anything, assuming that he would bring it up when he felt the timing was right. Inuyasha was never one to sit back and swallow his opinions. They knew he would speak his mind eventually.

He didn't disappoint. Halfway through breakfast, the hanyou abruptly placed his bowl on the wooden floorboards with a _clank_ that caught everyone's attention as they pretended to not be paying attention to him. "We can't stay here forever," Inuyasha said in a low voice, surprisingly quiet for something he had repressed and mulled over for days. "We have to get on with the quest again. And soon."

"What?" Sango asked, and he looked away.

"Don't play stupid," he muttered to the floor. "You both know it as well as I do, so stop pretending." Sango fell silent, for once looking the part of an obedient, defeated housewife. She poked her noodles around in their bowl as Miroku said slowly, "What do you have in mind, Inuyasha? Neither Sango nor I have heard any rumors of any jewel shards. We can't just go charging out into the forest without a place to start." Not without someone who can see the jewel, his eyes said, but the monk himself didn't say it. He didn't need to. It was in everyone's eyes. I looked guiltily at the floor.

"We don't have much choice," Inuyasha said solemnly. "We can't just sit by and watch Naraku collect the rest of the Shikon no Tama."

"But..." Everyone's eyes turned to Shippo as he whimpered the word. Though his eyes were still stubbornly upon his drawing, they were filling quickly with tears. "We...we can't... not without.... "He looked at Sango and Miroku helplessly, asking for their assistance, but when neither said anything, he turned back to Inuyasha. "We can't go," he said loudly, as if they were all being ridiculous. "We can't go like nothing ever happened! We can't go without... w-without HER!"

I looked between all of my friends, last of all to Inuyasha, expecting him to lose his temper and yell, as was typical for him, but I was surprised. He stared wordlessly at his now-cold breakfast before saying, in a quiet voice, "We have to, Shippo. Kagome wouldn't have wanted for us to give up and let him win." Shippo fell silent then, looking like someone had slapped him, and said nothing else. What else was there to say? He knew Inuyasha was right. He knew I wanted them all to be well and happy, free of the Shikon Jewel's curse once and for all.

"You're right, Inuyasha," Sango said at last, tiredly, breaking the silence to everyone's relief. "I guess we'll just have to play it by ear for a while. When do we leave?"

"First thing tomorrow," said the half demon without hesitation or feeling, and I suddenly knew what he must have been thinking and planning about for the last few days. The others nodded gravely once, while Shippo and Kaede only stared, one unreadably and one numbly. As if that was the cue he had been waiting for, Inuyasha stood abruptly and walked out of the hut at a brisk pace. I hesitated a second then followed, hover-walking as I had learned to.

I guess it was a good thing that my friends were moving on and forgetting some of their grief over my death, but I realized quickly that it was not good in one respect: they were leaving the village first thing in the morning, and my note plan was still premature. They weren't very likely to get any meaning out of the phrase "You need see me." It might be mistaken for any number of things—a village child practicing their hand, perhaps, or Shippo trying to write a note to an unknown girlfriend. I had worked so hard to write those notes... but they weren't ready to be spotted yet. And there was no way I could muster up the energy to write the remaining notes all at once today, before they left in the morning. It seemed hopeless.

I would have to come up with a plan.

A smarter one than the first.

That night I returned to Kaede's hut while everyone was preparing for bed. Sango had left the front pocket of my bad unbuttoned, so while their backs were turned, I quietly shifted the notes out from underneath and levitated them into the pocket. It took considerably less energy than I had thought, so I decided to try one last attempt at contact before I gave it up for the night.

Inuyasha had been sleeping in the God Tree since I'd died, as if he were watching over the well to see if I would come back through it. My heart ached for his quiet mourning sorrow that was so obviously taking its toll on him. While he looked healthy enough, but the pat weeks of little eating had made him thinner, and he was actually asleep when I reached him. Not that it was a bad thing, or a deep sleep that would keep him from being alert—it was probably for the best that he could rest a little; he hardly ever slept, and nine out of ten times when he did it was right after the night of the new moon. And Inuyasha was an infamously light sleeper—the slightest noise or motion awakened him. It was futile to ever try to sneak out in his presence.

I floated up the tree to the branch he treated like a bed and slowly lowered myself down there to rest near the tips of his feet. His features were so soft and relaxed... I bit my lip sympathetically and stopped my hand where it was an inch from his face. I couldn't touch him, I reminded myself. I couldn't touch a living thing, only objects... and yet, I wanted to try. My transparent fingers trembled and the starlight shone through them. I leaned forward, hesitantly, and touched my hand to where, if they were solid, would've been the side of his face. My fingers slipped through, and I felt a quiver of cold; Inuyasha must've felt something too, because he shuddered a little.

Encouraged, I swallowed. "Inuyasha," I said quietly. Then, forcing my voice to rise, "Inuyasha, it's me. Kagome. I'm still here, and you've got to see me. You've got to consciously acknowledge the fact that I'm here."

My head ached that familiar ache in the back of my brain, the same feeling that told me I was using up my ghost energy. Whatever I was doing, it was supernatural. I'd heard once that people are more receptive to the dead when they're asleep... so maybe he would catch some of that. Maybe it would help me.

It would be best if he would wake up—even if only for a second—and see me. I reached forward again and touched his face with both hands, holding them there this time. Dizziness attacked, but I ignored it, focusing on trying to hold on to the solid, living mortal before me. It felt as if my energy were passing into him, and suddenly, my fingers were warm, if only for a moment.

In that split second, Inuyasha's eyes snapped open and he stared straight at me. His eyes widened in surprise as they had that day in the stream and I knew that I had done my job. With that accomplishment on my mind, I was finally willing to relinquish my tiring job. I released his face and embraced the darkness that came rushing up to greet me. I hadn't been quick enough to stop it just before this time, I thought, but it was worth it. My impression had been made.

When I could see again I realized I was hovering a few feet below Inuyasha's branch, lying horizontal as if in some sort of bed. I could see the hanyou's expression—panicked, dazed, confused. "Kagome?" he whispered, and I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. I hovered back up to his branch and sat where I had sat a few moments before, my ghost legs curled underneath me as I watched him sadly. How lonely and bewildered he looked, glancing incredulously about the moonlit clearing as if he expected to see me down there, waving banners at him.

"You...you've got to stop haunting my dreams like that, Kagome," he told me, sternly, as if he knew I were sitting right there, and it might've sounded like a normal scolding if not for the tremor in his voice. "It's bad enough that I can't sleep when we're off on the quest... you've gotta let me move on." I stared at him with wide eyes, with the moonlight shining through my body, and nodded.

"You're right," I told him, my voice quiet. "It's not fair for me to keep bothering you while you're trying to move on like I would've wanted...but I'm trying to get back to you. And it shouldn't be much longer," I added brightly, hoping to somehow reassure us both. "Your mother thinks that I can do it, and so do I. You'd never let me down. And you just saw me, just now! That's a start!"

"I could've sworn you were...there," he said dazedly, almost as if he were answering me. His words were soft and pained, and for the millionth time I felt my heart go out to the halfling. We both sat there, still and silent, for several heartbeats, until at last he leaned back resolutely against the branch and closed his eyes as if to block out his sadness. I stared at him for another full minute before floating up to the branch above to hover and get some "sleep" myself... though ghosts can't really do that, and all I could do was wonder and think over it again and again until morning finally came.

Would everything turn out okay?

Should I just give up?

I contemplated calling out to Inuyasha's mother again, to ask her to reconsider the bargain, but she hadn't answered the last time, and besides... I didn't want to sound ungrateful. And I wanted this chance, didn't I? I wanted to be able to be with my friends again; to hold Shippo in a hug again; to tousle Miroku's hair after one of his attacks on Sango; to take another walk with Inuyasha, just happy to have him near. Then, he sometimes seemed far away, like when he was thinking of Kikyou again....but never this far away. He had never been so far from my reach.

He was just a foot below me, but I might as well have been in the celestial plane.

My eyes filled with tears and I cried, for once not being mindful of Inuyasha's perfect hearing. Below me, in a fitful half-sleep, the inu-youkai slept on until daybreak the next morning.

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Tailz: Ah... super-mondo-hugo sorry for not updating this story in so long! Before Not Too Late and O.D.D. it was by far my favorite... but in the midst of the other two it got neglected. I'm so sorry! I looked down there today and realized that I had almost a hundred reviews on this story, which hadn't occurred to me before...not that THAT'S the only reason I updated. I remembered my neat plot plan and I wanted to get this thing on the road! So expect some more updates soon (right now I'm working on the one for Strangers with Cars....it should be done shortly.) Until then, TTYL, and sorry it's so short! R/R, please, and make Tailzy's day!


	6. For you, Kagome

The others held true to Inuyasha's earlier schedule plan. It began with Inuyasha rousing himself two or three hours before dawn. His sleep had been fitful, to say the least; I'd watched him toss and twitch for hours on end. Twice, I was positive I heard him murmur my name. But he awoke purposefully, as though he'd slept for years, and hopped right down without stretching first. I admired his quickness—if only I could wake up that easily on a school day!—but then I remembered.

'**_There are no school days. I'm dead. Even if the school doesn't know it yet.'_**

As I followed Inuyasha's running footsteps, I allowed my mind to wander back to my time. Poor Eri, Ayume… all of my school friends didn't know. They had no idea. How long was Inuyasha going to put off telling my family? I knew how painful it would be for him, but still…how was it fair to Mama and Souta? They would be devastated...

We arrived at the village in less time than it usually took. I floated a few inches above the ground, watching the back of Inuyasha's silvery head. As we reached the village boundaries, however, he paused, so suddenly I was afraid that something magical had frozen him. I stopped abruptly too, waiting. **_'What's gotten into you?'_** I wondered. Inuyasha whipped around as though he'd heard something, and I froze instinctively. **_'What's the matter with you, girl? He can't see you. You know that.' _**And yet…. His eyes shifted suspiciously around the clearing, then he turned abruptly and strode off as though something had made him angry. Again, I followed, confused.

But to my great surprise, he didn't continue on into the sleepy village. He veered off the path, back into the forest, his pace getting faster and faster. I struggled to keep up. It seemed that he was floating too. The greens of the forest flew by us in blurs of colors, but neither of us noticed. We kept running as if to save our lives, neither glancing back, but both with eyes locked ahead. It didn't occur to me to ask where we were going, I just followed.

Inuyasha skidded to a halt. A cloud of dust rose up around him, and I stared. We were back in the clearing where we had spent the night. Purposefully, as if he'd meant to do it, Inuyasha tramped forward with stiff muscles. It was only when he got within a foot of the Bone Eater's Well that his steps faltered.

He swallowed. Something like anxiousness washed over his face, draining it of all color. He closed his eyes. "I owe it to you, Kagome," he said solemnly. He raised one foot to step in.

"Inuyasha." The voice came from the shadows. Inuyasha and I whirled around, startled. At least, I was startled. Inuyasha didn't seem to be at all.

"Miroku," he answered in a tone of numb nothingness.

"It won't work," the monk said sadly. "Without Kagome-sama, the well will reject you. Maybe even harm you."

"I've gone through alone before," Inuyasha said, this time almost stiffly.

"Yes, but… Kagome-sama's spirit has gone to the next world. Without her will, the praise beads will not be able to help you."

Inuyasha turned cheek as though no one had spoken, bent his knees and leapt into the well. The familiar blue glow shone up, illuminating the clearing and Miroku's face for a tenth of a second. The monk looked startled, staggering up and glancing over the lip of the well. "So it's true, then," he murmured thoughtfully. "Kagome-sama's spirit…has not passed on." His face revealed nothing as he straightened and looked about the clearing, speaking directly to me this time.

"Kagome-sama, if you're still on this earth, I know that you are here, right now. Please listen to me." He swallowed, closing his eyes as in sincere sadness and regret. When he looked up, those eyes were fierce, determined. "You know it is my duty to help lost souls on to their proper place. You…shouldn't linger."

"Miroku-sama," I croaked, suddenly understanding. "No, you can't."

He spoke on, not having heard me. "You know that if there were any way I could help you to come back, I would. You were—and still are—one of my truest, closest friends. I wish for nothing more than for you to remain here, close to us. But it will be better for you in the afterlife. You…cannot interfere with the lives of the living."

"Miroku-sama!" my voice was urgent and squeaky. "No! Please don't!" If he were to send me on—if I didn't have a chance to finish my set task—

"I'm sorry." A small tear slipped out of each eye and slid down his face as he reached into his robes and revealed one of his purifying scrolls. I backed away. "Kagome-sama," he said slowly, unfurling the scroll, "go. Be at peace with death, my friend." The characters glowed and seemed to rise from their place as their magic took effect. I took another step backwards, knowing the end was close—it was over, there would be no coming back this time—

But suddenly, the characters turned black and ashy and disappeared. The scroll glowed bright, then burst into flame. Miroku dropped it, startled. It was Inuyasha's mother's voice that reverberated all around me: "Go, Kagome-chan! Into the well!" I knew that she had saved me. With a last glance over my shoulder at the incredulous Miroku, I turned and leapt into the well, escaping through the blue light. The clearing illuminated again, once again lighting Miroku's face. Shock was written there, and I heard him whisper my name before the blue fully consumed me.

"K-Kagome-sama…why?"

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I was panting as I climbed the steps to escape the well house, shaking all over. It had been so close. Miroku had only been trying to help, but if he had succeeded… I whispered a hurried prayer of thanks to Inuyasha's mother and turned towards my house, crossing the familiar marble courtyard. My mind drifted to other matters, such as why Inuyasha return here, of all places. Especially so early in the morning. He wasn't going to wake Momma, was he?

And then it hit me. That was exactly what he was going to do: wake Mama. He was going to wake her and tell her the news that would shatter her world. I stopped just before the porch, suddenly aware that I didn't have the will to go forward. I didn't want to hear what Inuyasha was going to tell my mother.

Yet it was impossible to block out the sounds inside the house. I couldn't hear the exact words, but the feelings were unmistakable. I heard Mama—confused, sleepy—then Inuyasha, his voice quiet, unmistakably forlorn. I heard my mother gasp, then say something in a pleading, weak tone—Inuyasha replied softly, and she began to cry, still pleading with him. The words I could not hear filled my head: No, no, it can't be true, Inuyasha…not my baby, not my daughter...no….!

The exchange continued back and forth for several minutes with several pauses punctured by the sound of crying. Just as I'd managed to convince myself not to cry, I heard Souta's voice—gruff with sleep, confused at out mother's tears. Mama cried harder. I could barely make out the sound of Inuyasha's voice, gentle and tired again, as he spoke to Souta. My little brother didn't sob loudly, but instead fell deathly silent, inquiring something in a voice broken by tears.

Inuyasha stayed in the house for what seemed three forevers. I sat, sobbing myself, on the porch, for once not trying to dry my tears or hide them. I didn't dare go into my house; the sounds of my family's weeping filled my ears as it was. Grandfather joined them sometime after I started crying; I will never forget his quiet choke of a sob, then his gruff voice breaking as he demanded what had happened. He was so loud, I could hear his words clearly:

"Why didn't you protect her? We trusted you!"

Shortly after, Inuyasha came to the door with Jii-chan close behind. "You're not welcome here any longer," my grandfather said, anger and fury in every crevice of his ancient face, in every syllable of his voice. Then he slammed the door. Inuyasha stood there numbly for several minutes, then turned and walked slowly back towards the well house. His every step was slowed, heavy with fatigue and guilt and unbelievable sadness. When we reached the old building, he glanced back, and the blank yet implausibly miserable expression on his face broke my heart. "For you, Kagome," he murmured again, but this time his voice was as broken as Jii-chan's. He turned and jumped back into the well.

I followed him numbly, traveled back to the past in silence and went with him to meet the others. Inuyasha said nothing, and none of the others asked; they simply turned, all five of them, and walked away from the village and the well. I wondered if it was as obvious to them as it was to me that something had changed in Inuyasha.

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No one really slept that night. We pitched camp a few miles down the trail. We'd made pretty good time, but the camp seemed empty and cold. Miroku built a blazing fire wordlessly, but it couldn't drive away the gloom that had settled. He, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara sat around the flames, eating a small supper without meeting each other's eyes. Then they all retired early to their cotts.

Despite how early they laid down, none of them slept for hours. They simply lay there, paralyzed by the awful cold feeling of the clearing, helpless to do anything. It was nearly midnight when at last they started to drift to sleep. One by one, their shoulders drooped and their breathing steadied out. Shippo whimpered and twitched in his dreamland. I stood and silently left the clearing to go find Inuyasha.

I found him by the nearby spring. Moonlight played about his hair, and it was the only thing that shone in his eyes. They were dull and lifeless, the saddest amber I'd ever seen. They seemed to melt and drip with quiet suffering, and I wanted nothing more than to take him into my arms and whisper comfort into his hair. But I could do nothing of the sort.

I sank down onto the sandy riverbank beside him, swallowing the tears that threatened. I glanced at the water, wondering, but decided against another attempt at contact tonight. In this state, my appearance could only make things worse. Instead, I sat quietly, running my hand through his in an attempt at a comforting touch. Inuyasha stared unseeingly into the distance, and we didn't move until morning.

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Tailz: I UPDATED!!!!! :D Anyhoo...no time to jabber, I'll make up for it next chapter! (Eep, I'm busy! Love you guys!) Ja!


	7. I'm Still Here!

Tailz: O.O Angel-Wing person… Wow, Sanj, you have fan mail!

Sanji: FINALLY! Erm…say, Angel… you're not gonna try to…er… trap me in a closet, are you?

Angel: ….?

Tailz-; You mean, like Moogle did?

Sanji:Shivershudder:

Tailz- Eh-heh…well, super-omg-I-love-you-thank-yous to everyone that reviewed! I'm so happy! Could I take a second to respond to some reviews, Sanj?

Sanji: Well…it's your fic. You tell me.

Tailz: Yes, but…dare I risk it? Delaying the story usually makes the Angry Anti-Tailz Mob even angrier…

Sanji:Shrug: If they don't want to hear it, they can skip down to the chapter.

Tailz- Good point! Okay, here we go….

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**_-THIS IS WHERE THE RESPONSES BEGIN! YOU ARE WARNED- _**

**Katty-kat:** Katty:Glomp: How are you, pouty-kins? Keep your chin up—I'll update just as soon as I can!

**Sanosa:** Oooooh, you're the clever one, aren't you? You'll just have to wait and see…that's right! Curse me! BWAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAa—

Sanji: Tailz…. Hurry up….

Tailz: I thought you said this was 'my fic'?

Sanji: And it is, but the Mob is sharpening their ladles again…. And this time they have thumbscrews….

Tailz: Hey! I was wondering where those things went!

Sanji: Tailz!

Tailz: Okay, okay, fine…

**Myeerah:** As a writer, I know I've got to try to get used to criticism… but it's really hard. T.T But at least you were polite about it… Yes, I know there's errors dancing all over the place in here. You're right; the fact of the matter is, I'm on such close updating time, I usually submit the chapter without reading it more than once, so I miss a lotta little typos and things. Bear with me—I'm trying, and one of these days I'm gonna go back and edit chapters 8 and 9.

**ChicaCubana: **Oooh, another angst-lover! Perfect:D Don't worry—you won't be disappointed.

**Silver's Shadow Tamer: **Oh! Oh! SHE DID IT! This person just told me what she liked best about the story! And threw in a little actual-review-crit as well! Thank you:Hug: (Now if we could just get everyone else to do that….:sigh:)

**AngelWing1138:** Wow. Thank you, thank you, _thank you_ for your nice long review! You made me giggle! And…yes, you've come to the right place. There'll be plenty of fluff, angst, drama, and action coming soon!

**Miara Rigawa:** Thanks for your input! I know there are a lot of mistakes… please read my response to **Myeerah**. As to the beads… I think it's been translated as both. You'll find a variety of fics that refer to them as both 'praise beads' and 'prayer beads'. In this fic, it's going to stay 'praise beads' until I get a chance to go back and edit everything. (Can't remember if I just thought it wrong or typed it wrong; sometimes my thoughts don't reach my fingers-; ) Anyway, thanks again!

Sanji: _Tailz….! _

Tailz: Okay, okay. One more thing. I'm sure you've all noticed my increasing number of mistakes, huh? Would any of you be okay with being my editor? I'd send you the chapter a few days in advance, and you we could look for mistakes together. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one!

Sanji: IF YOU DON'T HURRY, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ONE PAIR BETWEEN THE TWO OF US:Pulls Tailz down just as an arrow flies over their heads:

Tailz: Meep! Guys—!

**_—THIS IS THE END OF THE RESPONSES! NOW ONTO THE STORY!— _**

I waited and waited, not even talking to myself, for the moment that Miroku would mention something to Inuyasha about our encounter. It was the only thing I had to hope for; I couldn't bear to try to appear to him again—every time I looked at him, his broken spirit was evident. I never would've thought Inuyasha could be so lifeless and slack looking.

Finally, two days after the incident with my family, my wish was granted.

It was late afternoon, and we were traveling again. Sango, Kirara, and Shippo walked a few feet ahead of the rest of us. Shippo mentioned the flowers in a happy voice, and Sango smiled halfheartedly. My heart ached for her, but I said nothing, hover-walking quietly behind Inuyasha and Miroku. My heart almost exploded with excitement as Miroku said the words I'd been willing him to say.

"Inuyasha," he said discreetly, and the hanyou's ears twitched and swiveled in his direction to show that he was paying attention.

"What is it, monk?"

Miroku looked mildly uncomfortable. "I don't know how to tell you this."

"Just say it."

"You're not going to believe me, are you?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" Inuyasha hissed through his teeth. "Spit it out before I lose my patience." The monk stared at him for a long moment before shifting his eyes to the ground moving beneath his feet.

"The other day…when you were going to Kagome-sama's home…."

Inuyasha glanced over quickly.

"…I think I saw something."

"What? What did you see?"

"I saw…" Miroku hesitated. "I _think_ I saw Kagome-sama."

I smiled. More than smiled, heck—I cried out in joy. I wanted to do a jig. Miroku had said it! Inuyasha would have to believe him! He'd know that he hadn't been hallucinating before, that I really was still here, and he'd figure out some way to help me!

I ran ahead to fall in step with the two of them, watching Inuyasha's face. He stopped in his tracks, and disbelief crossed his face. His eyes slid out of focus and I recognized the sparkle—hope—that glistened momentarily there. But it was only momentarily. Inuyasha closed his eyes as if he were wincing, shook his head, and walked resolutely onward, considerably faster than before. Puzzled, Miroku and I followed him.

"That's stupid, Miroku." His voice was soft and bitter. "The dead don't wander around without good reason."

"Who's to say Kagome-sama doesn't have good reason?" Miroku countered in that soft way of his. "Spirits often linger when they have unfinished tasks, unexpressed feelings, or…" He paused, before adding, even more quietly, "…Or a wish for revenge."

"No," Inuyasha said. "Not Kagome. She wouldn't. She's moved on."

"I saw her clearly, Inuyasha, and I sense her even at this very moment. Don't you?"

"No," Inuyasha answered shortly. "Don't be stupid."

"_Inuyasha._" Miroku said his name with such uncharacteristic sharpness that the hanyou stopped and turned around. "Whether or not you admit to it, you do feel her presence. You know she's still here, and you know something must be done for her. It isn't productive for the dead to linger on Earth. Kagome-sama must be persuaded to move on. You must see that."

"_Look,_ monk. It doesn't matter what you think. Kagome's dead, and nothing you do or say can change that!" He stormed off moodily, leaving Miroku and me alone at the back of the party.

"Kagome-sama." The monk addressed me almost inaudibly, but I could hear. "I know you're staying in loyalty to us. I know you want to ease Inuyasha's suffering most of all, but your lingering here is not helpful to anyone. You are only delaying the inevitable, and the longer you stay, the more dangerous it will become for you."

I swallowed and backed away a step.

"If you don't go yourself…" Miroku turned and looked in my direction, his eyes sad but determined. "…If you don't go on, it will be my duty to send you forward. I'll give you a little while longer. Please, my friend." And then he turned and walked off after the others, leaving me far behind.

* * *

I contemplated Miroku's words for the rest of the day. We set up camp in the thick of the woods, a good forty feet from the trail, and everyone settled down quicker than they once had. Miroku gave Inuyasha a meaningful glance before settling against his tree; Sango and Shippo glanced between the two, confused, before shrugging it off and climbing into a pallet to sleep. 

The fire burned down low as I made my way to the tree where Inuyasha was sitting for the night. I rose through the branches to his branch, landing finally at his feet. His eyes were closed, but he really wasn't sleeping. He never _really _slept.

Miroku's gentle warning echoed in my ears.

I was running out of time. I had to do something and _fast._

I reached up absently and caused a small twig to fall directly onto Inuyasha's head. Even at the small movement he jerked awake, instantly alert and looking about suspiciously. It took him about ten seconds to figure out what had roused him; he plucked the twig from his head in annoyance and threw it to the ground below.

He was awake. Now was my chance. I hovered in the air directly beside him, gathering a good bit of my strength. Concentrating, I turned my palms towards him face up and shoved with all my might.

To both his and my astonishment, Inuyasha slid right off the branch and began falling.

He grappled with a branch a few feet below and pulled himself up, blinking incredulously. I breathed, centering my energy, and pushed him again. And again. And again, until he was hanging suspended eight feet above the ground. By that time, Inuyasha's eyes were each as wide as the full moon, and I was almost out of energy. But I wasn't finished. I reached over and tickled him right beneath his ribs on a whim, and what do you know—the Great Inuyasha was ticklish! He yelped and fell onto the soft dirt with a thud.

My head hurt, but I ignored it. This was my chance. It was perfect. With careful (but hurried) precision, I picked up the twig I had hit Inuyasha with and began scrawling a message in the sand. His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the message I was writing: _I'm here. _

His bewildered face was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.


End file.
